Rectal discharge
Rectal discharge is liquid from the anus, often mucus or pus.
Rectal discharge refers to the intermittent or continuous leakage of liquid from the anus. While the body normally produces rectal mucus to aid in waste elimination, any other liquid expression is often linked to forms of fecal incontinence, such as fecal leakage. However, the term does not always imply a loss of bowel control; some types of incontinence that involve liquid leakage can be classified as a form of rectal discharge.
Several types of discharge exist. Generally, "rectal discharge" describes either a mucous or purulent (pus-filled) flow, but depending on the definition, it may also include watery discharge, steatorrhea (fatty diarrhea or oily anal leakage), keriorrhea (an orange, oily leakage from eating escolar or oilfish), rectal bleeding (including melena and hematochezia), feculent discharge (such as fecal leakage, encopresis, or incontinence of liquid stool), and diarrhea.
The most common symptom is the passage of mucus or pus wrapped around an otherwise normal bowel movement. Other symptoms can include staining of undergarments, a constant feeling of dampness around the anus, a frequent urge to defecate that yields only small amounts of mucus or pus-like liquid, rectal pain, foul-smelling discharge (rectal malodor), anal itching (pruritus ani), rectal bleeding, and redness, swelling, or tenderness around the anus (perianal erythema).
Purulent discharge usually indicates an infection. Medical sources often do not distinguish between mucous and purulent discharge, using the broader term "mucopurulent discharge," which strictly refers to a mix of both. Purulent discharge may also be streaked with blood.
Mucous discharge (also called mucinous, mucoid, or mucorrhea) can be grouped into three categories: normal physiological mucus, inappropriately expressed physiological mucus (due to sphincter defects or lesions that prevent proper closure), and pathologically excessive mucus (from a lesion, generalized coloproctitis, or bacterial overgrowth). This discharge may be blood-streaked, and in some conditions, the blood mixes evenly with mucus to form a pink goo, such as the "red currant jelly" stools seen in intussusception, which consist of sloughed mucosa, mucus, and blood.
Quick Facts
- Synonym
- Anal discharge, normal rectal mucus, anal drainage, anal seepage, anal leakage
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Rectal discharge can be intermittent or continuous. Different types include purulent (pus), mucous (mucorrhea), watery, steatorrhoea (fatty diarrhea), keriorrhea (orange oily from escolar/oilfish), rectal bleeding, feculent (fecal leakage), and diarrhea. The most common presentation is passage of mucus or pus wrapped around an otherwise normal bowel movement. Symptoms may include staining of undergarments, constant dampness, frequent urge to pass only mucus or pus, rectal pain, malodor, pruritus ani, rectal bleeding, and perianal erythema.
Reader's Guide
The differential diagnosis of rectal discharge is extensive, with general etiological themes of infection and inflammation. Some lesions cause discharge by mechanically preventing complete closure of the anal canal, allowing transit of liquid stool components and mucus. Common causes include haemorrhoids, proctitis, anal fissure, rectal prolapse, and perianal warts. Less common causes include colorectal carcinoma, irritable bowel syndrome, solitary rectal ulcer syndrome, anal fistulae, villous adenoma, and poor anal hygiene. Rare causes include sexually transmitted diseases (e.g., syphilis, rectal gonorrhea, chlamydia), anal carcinoma, AIDS, rectal foreign body, bowel obstruction, rectocele, enterocele, ulcerative colitis, bacterial colitis, anal/perianal tuberculosis, and perianal abscess. Perianal Crohn's disease is associated with fistulizing, fissuring and perianal abscess formation. After colostomy, the distal bowel continues to produce mucus, often resulting in mucinous discharge. Perianal discharge from fistulae or pilonidal disease can be misinterpreted as rectal discharge.
Did You Know?
- Normal rectal mucus is needed for proper excretion of waste.
- Keriorrhea is an orange oily anal leakage caused by high levels of escolar and oilfish in the diet.
- Mucous rectal discharge can be thought of in three broad categories: normal physiologically produced mucus, inappropriately expressed physiologically produced mucus, and mucus produced in pathological quantities.
- After colostomy, the distal section of bowel continues to produce mucus despite fecal diversion, often resulting in mucinous discharge.
More in Symptoms and signs: Digestive system and abdomen 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced